BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 
27 
hawks still darted hurriedly about in pursuit of insects. Occasion- 
ally, a Heron rose from its resting-place and flapped silently away, 
while the air was filled with the notes of birds and the hum of insects. 
As the day advanced, the chatter of the birds gradually ceased, and 
a perfect silence replaced the tumult of the morning, broken only 
by the occasional rattling of our horses’ hoofs among the loose stones 
of the pathway, — it could hardly be called a road, although at one 
time it must have been a fine driveway. On either side were the 
remains of heavy stone walls, occasionally broken by huge pillars, 
which marked the entrance to some grand old mansion, represented 
by an over-grown ruin, its once beautiful grounds now thickly 
covered by an almost impenetrable growth of semi-tropical vegeta- 
tion. As the sun rose higher and higher, the heat became intense, 
and our discomfort was greatly increased by the myriads of mos- 
quitoes and other small insects, which attacked us incessantly. The 
horses suffered badly from them, the poor creatures fidgeting and 
turning their heads in a supplicating way, as if to ask us to relieve 
them of their tormentors. 
After travelling for several hours over an exceedingly bad road, 
which grew worse and worse as we advanced, we at last arrived at 
an opening in the side of a small hill, which the guide declared to be 
the mouth of the cave. Here we dismounted, and leaving our man 
to attend to the tired horses, we lighted our torches and, followed 
by Sam bearing the ropes and extra lights, entered the opening and 
found ourselves in a large gallery, extending, with a gradual curve 
to the left, as far as we could see. A few yards from the entrance, a 
